It's Farmers Market season! Each weekend in my neighborhood local artisans and farmers come to the park to sell baked goods, cheeses, jams, sauces and so much more. For many of these small businesses this is the first step in their retail journey, with the ultimate goal of selling their product in gourmet shops or grocery stores.

Because of cost, packaging is usually just for protection and not marketing. And while the packaging at a Farmers Market might not be as important as a traditional store, it still can make a big impact.

Many people use small address labels from the local Office Max that are either hand-printed or run through a cheap home printer. That doesn't do much for your product. A simple way to upgrade your brand is to add a colorful label applied to the plain packaging. your label can include contact information, nutrition facts, and a fun colorful logo to draw in customers.

A big reason that some small food brands steer away from using color labels is the cost. If you only need a few hundred labels a season or need to make changes frequently to the label, getting your labels pre-printed might be a challenge. But there is hope.

If you're looking for really low quantities but want good looking color labels, we recommend an on-demand printer like the Epson Colorworks C3500. You can print the labels as you need them so if you want to test a new product or need to make changes to the label quickly you can do that with little investment in time and money.

This printer is perfect for food labels like cupcakes, breads, hot sauce bottle labels or artisan soaps.

Take a tour of the Epson ColorWorks C3500 with our Vertical Markets Manager, Paul Johnson, and see how compact and easy it is to use.

 

 

 

Whether you're having a label manufacturer print your labels or you're printing them yourself in-house with an Epson or QuadraColor label printer, you'll need a good label design.

In the first part of this series we covered typical font mistakes in food label designs. In part two we're focusing on the layout and colors of the design. Our label example for what not to do is a bit far fetched, but we have actually seen some pretty bad label designs that would surprise you.

 

Part II: Layout and Color

Clashing Colors

There is a difference between having an out-standing label and a label that just stands out (usually not in a good way).

When designing a label, it's important to pick colors that complement each other and don't distract from the message your label is trying to show. In this example, the bright green color clashes with the 4th of July cupcake theme, making it hard to read the text and giving the viewer an uncomfortable feeling when looking at the label. It also makes the cupcakes look unappetizing.

Crowded Images

Too many images on your label will make it hard to focus on what you're trying to sell. In this label example there are multiple cupcakes that keep you from seeing a clean, clear vision of what the product looks like. The text is crammed together, making both the headline and the title above the ingredients hard to read. Finally the UPC bar code doesn't have enough clear white area around it to ensure a good "read" at the checkout.

Mixed Messaging 

When you are selling food, you want your label message to be delicious, healthy, and clean. It literally has to look good enough to eat. The forklift in the example above is a totally unnecessary pun that doesn't work with the company name. Plus a greasy forklift might be the last thing you want to see related to a cupcake. 

 

These are just some best-practices for designing a typical food label. A label for your product may have different requirements. Just remember that just about all labels need to have a clean, clear design so they are readable from a distance, convey your message, and look professional. Your label is your brand and a reflection of your company.

When you create a label for one of your food products, say a delicious cupcake, you want the label to convey freshness, look appetizing, and give your customer all the information they need to complete the sale.

Your food label design is one of the main tools you have to communicate with your customers. This becomes even more important for brands without a large marketing budget and that are limited to small retail spaces or specialty shops. It's crucial that your label tells your story in an appealing way.

In this two part series, I will share with you some common food label design mistakes and how you can avoid them. To best illustrate this we have designed an example of a "before & after" label incorporating these mistakes and will share some tips for label improvement.

 

Part I: The Importance of Good Font Choices

Too Many Fonts

No matter which software program you use to design your label, it probably comes with a huge library of fonts. There are so many fonts to choose from when designing your label that it gets tempting to use all your favorites.

But remember, you are trying to communicate important information to a wide range of customers from small children to seniors with vision challenges. So keep it simple. If you use too many different fonts, the label will be harder to read and the design will appear confusing. The first label above uses four different type faces which makes the design seem disconnected.

We suggest sticking to one or two fonts for smaller food labels and keep the style changes to a minimum.

Brand Name Type Size is Too Big or Too Small

Find the balance between the size of your brand name text, the product info and other copy on the label. You don't want your brand name to get lost in the label but you also don't want people to miss out on the important details of your product.

Keep your brand name more prominent and above the other information. Second in size should be the product name, the the other information.

Font is Hard to Read

Since you only have a few seconds to catch a shopper's attention, you need your product's name and message to be spotted first. Choose clean fonts that are clear and easy to read both from a distance or up close.

Decorative fonts are usually used to convey a feeling or style. Some are formal, some playful, some serious and business-like. Using two or more decorative fonts together can end up sending a mixed message that often clashes. Pick fonts that go well with your logo font. San serif fonts are usually easier to read at small sizes like for your ingredients list.

When you are designing a label, try coming up with a couple of different versions to test on co-workers to see their reactions. A little test marketing of your label design and font selection can help make your product perform better in the store.

In addition to these being good design practices, they can also be regulated by the FDA. Read about General Food Labeling Guidelines by the FDA here.

 

If you've chosen pressure-sensitive labels for your beer bottles then you already know these will be easy to apply. Just remove the liner and stick the label to the bottle, right? Easy enough, but what about when you have hundreds or even thousands of bottles to label? And you want them on straight?

If you want to increase your pack line productivity and ensure accurate labeling you should invest in some form of labeling automation.

Here is a list of three different automatic labeling systems perfect for the beer industry.

 

1. Bottle-Matic

If you're working on small batch bottling you probably only need a semi-automatic table top labeler. The table-top Bottle-matic is affordable and compact. Our Labeling Systems Product manager, Mike Soloway, put together a video demo to show you how easy this system is for craft beer labeling. With some practice, you can label up to 20-30 bottles a minute. And the labels are applied flat and straight every time.

 

 2. Geset 121 

The next step up for microbrewers is the Geset 121 label applicator.  This system is ideal for labeling bottles and other round, straight-walled containers. This system would be a great addition to a pack line where you connect directly to the conveyor from the filling line. If you aren't totally automated yet but still need to apply lots of labels quickly, you can hand-load this labeler by sending the bottle in one end and having your helper grab it as it exits the other side. A small, movable labeling system that can label up to 25-30 bottles per minute.

 

3. Tronics Series 3

The largest bottle labeling system we offer is the Tronics Series 3. This wrap system can wrap a single label or more complex labeling like front, back and neck. This system is a great fit for operations that are 100% automated and have a very high volume out put. The Tronics can handle up to 2400 inches of labels per minute and the built-in conveyor easily integrates into your packaging operation.

Not sure which labeling system is the right fit for your operation? Talk to one of our labeling systems experts about your options.

 

In honor of Earth Day, we'd like to share a part of our business and the packaging industry that we feel quite passionate about.

Sustainable packaging and manufacturing is no longer seen as a trend but as a requirement for many businesses. A recent study by DuPont revealed that in 10 years sustainable packaging will be a number one priority for companies over cost.

At Weber we have made several changes around our plant in the last couple of years to make our facility greener, our manufacturing process more sustainable, and have sought out a product line that meets the environmental requirements of our customers.

The biggest impact we've made is in our label manufacturing process.

 

Green Label Manufacturing

There is a lot of waste involved in printing labels, from the set-up label material generated during the printing set up process to the scrap trim material that's thrown out in the end. The biggest progress the print industry has made in sustainability is the re-purposing of label production scrap for fuel pellets.

In 2012 Weber started collecting this paper waste for Pellet America, a recycling company, to turn into fuel pellets. These fuel pellets are then burned at electrical generation plants. They are a cleaner source of fuel than coal and less costly, especially to the environment. This has been a huge success as we have kept 99% of our waste out of the landfills.

 

Sustainable Label Material Options

Thin Material

Thin label materials use less raw materials but still have the same packaging effect as thicker ones. Less material also means less packaging materials and lighter containers for shipping. Additionally, you're getting more labels per roll so you won't have down time from switching rolls on your label application equipment.

Using a thinner label material is both a green option and a more efficient option for your labeling process.

Labels That Wash Off

Not all labels are recycle-friendly. The plastic clamshell or bottle that you use is probably recyclable, but once a label is applied to it, the container may be spoiled. This doesn't mean it can't be recycled, it just means the plastic that is recovered will not meet the standards of food grade packaging. If a label can be easily washed off of a food package, then the plastic can be recycled for food packaging again. If the label doesn't wash off cleanly, residue from the label degrades the plastic and it cannot be used for food packaging.

Select a material that has met the standards of the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR). These labels have been tested and cleanly wash off the plastic material in the recycling process leaving the plastic pure enough to be used again.

 

Post Consumer Waste Materials

This material option is meant for packaging that does not get recycled. If the container is meant to be composted, this label material will break down in a land fill along with the container. This material cannot be recycled so make sure if you select this type of material that you also select a container that is compostable and that your consumers know this.

 

If you're looking for more information on Earth Day tips, check out this blog post or contact a Weber Green Label Expert to talk about sustainable labeling options for your product.

 

 

 

 

One of our favorite label materials for prime packaging is film. The material is either clear or translucent and is available on paper or film liners. It's very popular in the personal care, spirits, and food & beverage markets because of its durability, flexibility and design capabilities. This material type also can be used to achieve the "no-label look" for your packaging.

Reasons to Love Film Labels

Modern Packaging

Film label packaging is a modern way to label your bottle, box or bag.

Using a clear film like, Weber's FlexClear Gloss, expands design possibilities because you are not limited to a die-cut shape. The Eden wine label to the right shows this beautifully. In order to achieve this design with a paper label you would need to use a very complicated die or color match to the bottle. The dramatic pop of the white tree also would be lost.

Film materials that aren't clear, like our FlexLyte, are a great choice for opaque bottles like lotions and cleaning products. The design stands out and the material is durable enough to handle the harsh environments of those products.

 

Durable and Flexible

Film materials by nature are durable and flexible. They outperform paper label materials when it comes to curved or squeezable containers because of their plastic make up. They are also moisture resistant so the label artwork is protected during refrigeration or in wet environments like showers and bathrooms.

 

Fresh Look for Food & Beverage

Clear labels are popular with food and beverage packaging. If you want to convey fresh food, you want the consumer to be able to see the product as much as possible. For example, if you're selling strawberries in a clamshell container, adding a clear film label allows for more of the product to be seen and at the same time uses the bright red of the fruit to be a part of the packaging design. 

It also works great for plastic or glass juice bottles. The colorful juice becomes the focus of the consumer.

Be sure to look into to the world of film labels for your next labeling project. Whether clear or opaque, film labels are a durable way of showcasing your product with an eye-catching label that will set you out from the crowd.

 

Want samples of film pressure-sensitive labels? Contact us below!